Skip to main content

Chou sensei: There is only a start of Kendo journey but no end of it.


Tuesday 17 January 2006

To share with those who could not come tonight or need to leave earlier, what Sensei Chou's lesson after the training were:

1. Kendo starts from Rei (manner) and finishes with Rei. If there is no Rei in your Kendo, no matter how strong your Kendo technique is, it still means nothing.

2. In terms of physical techniques, footwork should take 70% of importance while hand/arm only take another 30%. So, paying enough attention to footwork is essential to improve our Kendo.

Particularly, after strike, we should follow up our left foot quicker.

3. When you feel "proud" about your Kendo, then it is the time your Kendo starts to decline. Keep humble and keep studying and training in Kendo is very important.

-- Sam's note here: what sensei does not want us to have is "over-proud" or to think our Kendo is "good enough" and then stop learning. Please don't get it confused with "no confidence".

4. Sensei appreciates "the training we gave him" tonight. He thinks that we were all doing well tonight.

-- Sam's note again: Reflecting what he just said, I think that he is the role model of a humble leaner, which we all should learn from him.

5. Sensei also said that we don't need to worry about "being hit" during keiko but we need to focus and stick on kihon (basics). People might be able hit you at the beginning. However, after a while, people won't be so easy to hit you any more. That means you have improved in the right Kendo ways, rather than developing some other bad or wrong movements to prevent "being hit".


* * *

My main personal reflection for the keiko with sensei is that we all need to keep our training regularly. I remember Kai once quoted his sensei's word that if we do not hold shinai for one day, our Kendo level drops two days back. I am amazed that sensei is still doing 7 days training among 3 dojos in Taiwan. He must feel boring here.

I think it is impossible for us to open dojo everyday here now (it should be our long term goal!). And sometimes we are busy with work or study. However, it would be still very helpful for us to remember to pick up shinai and do some suburi at home.

I know I have said for many times that Kendo is a life-long activity but I am too young to demonstrate this. I believe that we were all inspired and encouraged by him. To share a personal "funny" feeling about myself, probably because I have been surrounding by many young people like you for a while. Sometimes I feel I am a little bit older than before. Therefore, I felt very good and very refreshing when I did keiko with Chou sensei. From now on, I will NEVER feel I am an old person!
 
I sincerely wish all of us that we will continue our Kendo training until we are at least 85 years old. That means beside of Kendo techniques, we all need to take good care of our bodies!

Kind regards, Sam




* * *

Forwarded from website archive 2006



Comments

Popular Posts

2025 Beginners Information

You are warmly invited to join us and  start your New Year resolutions as a  Modern Samurai .  --- Information for Year 2025 Beginners --- Little Samurai Class (age under 14): 1.30 - 2.30pm, Saturdays  Beginners Class (age 14 and above): 2.30 - 3.30pm, Saturdays Intermediate and Advanced Class : 3.30 - 6.00pm, Saturdays Starting Dates: Term 1: Saturday 25 January Term 2: Saturday 10 May  We will be accepting new students all Saturdays of May, but the earlier you can start, the better. Term 3: Saturday 19 July   Term 4: Saturday 11 October Join our 2025 Beginners Facebook Group  now to get updates. Or, email us for more information.  Course Information: No previous experience required. Regardless of gender,  ages from 6 to 60  are all welcome. First lesson  is your Free trial. Membership Fees:  Kids and School students: 50.00 per month Tertiary students and adults: 80.00 per month Family discounts : the 2nd family member is 50...

How do you practice seme?

Kobayashi Hideo Sensei – How to Seme (w/English CC)  小林英雄 先生 - 攻め方 How do you practice S eme ?   Very early on, I have heard of the “Three Opportunities to Strike”: strike when your opponent’s technique is about to start, strike when your opponent’s technique ends, and when the opponent is mentally and physically depleted. Since then, this line of thinking has given me a direction in how to train. In 2017, Utsunomiya sensei, 7-dan kyoshi, came to visit us and taught me the concept of “okori”. That reminds me of the conversation that happened 8 years before that in 2009 with Morioka sensei, also 7-dan kyoshi, who asked me: “What is the timing or reason of your strike?” I think most people are familiar with the idea that you should “ seme then strike ”. However, when do you strike after seme has been a source of struggle for most kenyu. That’s why when I saw the video from Kobayashi Hanshi where you seme for the purposes of creating “okori” , I felt this added a whol...

Experiencing Jōdan-no-Kamae & Gyaku-Dō

Wednesday 31st May 2023 Keiko Reflection - Janet Tonight’s Keiko was planned by Marleen sensei & led by Senpais Leo & Joyce.  We had a rare opportunity to watch & learn some wazas/ techniques first hand from both senpais particularly on their specialties: Jōdan-no-Kamae & Gyaku-Dō. The upper-level posture or stance ( Jōdan-no-Kamae ) which Leo Senpai uses, is the Hidari (left) Jōdan , where the left foot is in front of the right foot, so essentially the foot positions are reversed from normal Chudan position.  Using the posterior right foot to push off when going forwards & the anterior left foot to push off when going backwards.  Otherwise all other elements of footwork remains the same, like heels off the ground using Suriashi sliding steps, maintain inner parallel & the distance between both feet, right foot not overtaking left foot, using the left foot for fumikomi & right foot quickly follow up after strike to run through with Zanshin…etc....